Title
North Scandinavian birch forests (Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii) with dwarf shrubs, lichens and mosses (Empetrum hermaphroditum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Cladina mitis, Cladina rangiferina, Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum fuscescens), partly with tall herbs and ferns (Geranium sylvaticum, Dryopteris expansa, Gymnocarpium dryopteris), in the northernmost region alternating with palsa mires
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
North of Norway: Finnmarksvidda; Sweden: furthest north-east; north Finland
area frequency
4 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Cladonio-Betuletum (Nordhagen 1943) Kielland-Lund 1973; Empetro-Betuletum (Nordhagen 1943) Kielland-Lund 1973 (inclusively Betuletum myrtillo-hylocomiosum Nordhagen 1943; subalpine Empetrum-Myrtillus-type, subalpine Empetrum-type Hämet-Ahti 1963); Myrtillo-Betuletum Kielland-Lund 1973; tall-herb communities (see Hämet-Ahti 1963).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
The complex consists of birch forests, northern boreal pine forests and extented palsa mires. Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii forests (4-7 m high, on better soils up to 10 m) with a sparse shrub layer, a herb layer primarily with dwarf shrubs and grasses as well as mosses and lichens, locally with tall herbs and ferns.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii, Sorbus aucuparia, Populus tremula, Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies
Shrub layer
Betula nana, Salix lapponum, Salix glauca, Salix phylicifolia, Salix myrsinifolia, Salix borealis, Ribes spicatum, Juniperus communis
Herb layer
Empetrum hermaphroditum, Calluna vulgaris, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium uliginosum, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Arctostaphylos alpinus, Pedicularis lapponica, Festuca ovina, Carex vaginata, Polemonium acutiflorum, Deschampsia flexuosa, Dryopteris expansa, Geranium sylvaticum, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Linnaea borealis, Solidago virgaurea, Thelypteris phegopteris, Trientalis europaea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum fuscescens, Cladina mitis, Cladina rangiferina, Cladina stellaris, Cladina arbuscula, Cladonia gracilis, Stereocaulon paschale, Nephroma arcticum, Cetraria islandica, Dicranum scoparium, Peltigera aphthosa
Diagnostically important species
Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii; Empetrum hermaphroditum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia flexuosa; Cladina mitis, Cladina rangiferina, Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum fuscescens
Ecological variants
On richer soils and in climatically more favourable regions ferns, herbs and grasses form the herb layer while dwarf shrubs recede.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Vaccinio myrtilli-Betuletum, Eu-Piceetum myrtilletosum, Barbilophozio-Pinetum, subarctic palsa mires, aapa mires, bog forests: Alno incanae-Salicion pentandrae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine dwarf shrub vegetation (B42), birch forests (C9, C11), spruce forests (D1), pine forests (D42), palsa mires (S14), aapa mires (S15), brown mires (S23).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
occasional birch or pine plantations.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
grazing by reindeer.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
occasional agricultural use.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
valley bottoms or slopes; on the leeward sides of mountains both in the lowlands and highlands
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
north boreal, 50-520 m; Sweden: montane, subalpine, 600-1000 m
Geology (bedrock)
silicate basement rock (Precambrian granite, gneiss, granulite), covered by Pleistocene moraine sediments of different thickness
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
ferrum podzoles, Cladonio- and Empetro-Betuletum with raw humus as humus form, tall herb communities with mull as humus form; little biological activity and low productivity; (stony orthic podzols; leptosols)
soil texture
loamy sand, stony
soil moisture, water balance
moist-fresh to very dry
soil reaction
acidic, weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic to mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII (IX)
average annual temperature
-3 to 1 °C
average annual precipitation
200-600 mm (Norway); 400-500 mm (Finland); 700-1000 mm (Sweden)
average temperature of the warmest month
10-14 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-16 to -10 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
very low precipitation.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Not endangered.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
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causes of endangerment
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required measures for protection and restitution
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Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Norway: Øvre Pasvik, Øvre Anarjokka, Øvre Dividal, Stabbursdalen (national parks); Sweden: Atoko, Sarek (national parks), Ammarnäs-Hemavan.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Aune 1973; Hämet-Ahti 1963; Kielland-Lund 1967b; Kielland-Lund 1973; Kujala 1929; Nordhagen 1936; Nordhagen 1943
Compiled by
O. Vevle; L. Hämet-Ahti, K. Karttunen; L. Påhlsson
